Couple of Questions From A New Member

New member so apologies if I'm not posting in the right place, but these questions involve ALL phone models and OSs rather than just my own.

First - I'm at present using a Curve 9300 3G with OS6 installed which is a super piece of kit. I'm due a free upgrade in a few months though and the model I'm interested in is the new Bold 9900. The only problem with this happy option is - how long will OS7 be viable after OS8 is released? If OS8 is going to be released in the next few months after my upgrade, I'd hate to have to wait for nearly two years before being able to sample it, as I've seen that there isnt going to be an upgrade available as in the transition from OS5 - OS6. I think I'd rather hang fire for a few months with my present phone and wait for OS8 to release if there were to be dramatic feature improvements over the OS7.

Second - does anyone know of a music streaming service for the BlackBerry? I think we're all getting a bit fed up with waiting for Spotify to pull their fingers out, Grooveshark is a nightmare for freezing your phone, skipping tracks and rendering your web browser unusable until you reboot, and Napster only supports OS5 for some reason. I'm not bothered in the slightest about a bone-fide radio streaming station as they can be found in abundance anyway, and it must preferably be a streaming service rather than a downloading service, as I found an mp3 site that does an admirable job on downloads. Also, it should be a monthly subscription rather than 'per song' (or I have no objectives to it being free either).

Thanks in advance for any advice that can be given on the above two subjects.

There is nothing at all wrong with my Curve, in fact its the best phone I've ever used, and also the first BB I've ever had (which goes hand in hand), but I get the option of a new free upgrade at the end of every two year contract period. So I even get to keep the Curve as well. But rather than dive in and get the first available phone on day one, if OS8 is going to be stunning, AND be released just a month or so into my new contract, I'd be thinking of saving the upgrade option for a few weeks later.

First - I'm at present using a Curve 9300 3G with OS6 installed which is a super piece of kit. I'm due a free upgrade in a few months though and the model I'm interested in is the new Bold 9900. The only problem with this happy option is - how long will OS7 be viable after OS8 is released? If OS8 is going to be released in the next few months after my upgrade, I'd hate to have to wait for nearly two years before being able to sample it, as I've seen that there isnt going to be an upgrade available as in the transition from OS5 - OS6. I think I'd rather hang fire for a few months with my present phone and wait for OS8 to release if there were to be dramatic feature improvements over the OS7.

OS7 will remain "viable" as long as the device does what you need.
OS5 is still very "viable" and OS5 devices are still getting OS5 updates almost 3 years after the device was released (See Bold 9000)
IF you are going to always be waiting for the next best thing, just enjoy your 9300.

The speculation is that RIM will release a All touch screen "superphone" BlackBerry in Q1 or Q2 of 2012, and some myself included are firm believers that next year by August we will see a QNX based QWERTY device. and IMO 8-10 months with an OS7 device then jumping to a QNX device will be fine for me.

Yes, been reading about the 'all new touchphone' scenario, and the very reason I came to BB in the first place was because of the qwerty, so if it means hanging on for a year for 'possibly' getting a qwerty QNX, I think its a case of upgrading when I can.

Well, that's just the Bold 9000. I bought the Curve 8520 and it EOLed in 6 months.

That is incorrect sorry.

The Curve was launched in November 2009
OS v5.0.0.1728 for the 85XX came out March 2011, approximately 16 Months of support and OS improvements,

The CARRIERS EOL devices long before RIM does, the problem with RIM vs Android / Apple is that RIM releases OS's through Carriers, not direct to the public. I am hoping with OTA QNX updates this will change in the future.

Yes, been reading about the 'all new touchphone' scenario, and the very reason I came to BB in the first place was because of the qwerty, so if it means hanging on for a year for 'possibly' getting a qwerty QNX, I think its a case of upgrading when I can.

Thats why I'm rocking a 9900 right now.

My 9800 was less than a year old, I could have waited till I had had it a year, but I was sure there was going to be no QNX QWERTY BlackBerry with in 2 months of my 9800's year anniversary so why wait, got the 9900 on launch day and I'm lovin' it